Tarnished Soul
by Sirithiliel
Summary: AU. Dark fic. Bakura, a demon like no one has ever seen one before, arrives in a land already torn by conflict, and it is up to the Angel Prince Atemu and Bakura’s long lost brother, Ryou, to stop him. But is there something even darker on the horizon?
1. Chapter 1

**Tarnished Soul**

"_What is darkness? Merely an absence of light. Or, perhaps, it is when the light is hidden away, to keep it from extinguishing. Darkness, whether good or ill, hides within itself. Maybe to protect itself? For when light comes into a darkened room, see you not how the shadows fall back? Does that not speak of fear, and a fear of being hurt? Many claim to be light, and others dark. Me? What am I but another lost soul looking for truth? Which way do I turn? Who do I follow? None. I shall go my own way. I shall stay in the shadows, neither dark nor light."_

Sirithiliel, Jynn A'Tonic

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. Story plot, world, etc is.

Summary: AU. Dark fic. Bakura, a demon like no one has ever seen one before, arrives in a land already torn by conflict, and begins a reign of terror.

**Author's Explanation:** Now, when you hear 'angel', you probably think of the feather-winged avatars from God, and when you hear 'demon, you think of their evil, dragon-winged counterparts who exist in Hell. These are not those Angels, or those Demons. They are called by such names merely because they bear a resemblance to the mythical creatures. The angels of this earth did indeed have feathered wings, which is why they were named after the icon of purity and goodness. The demons bore the same resemblance to the demons of the religious type, with great bat wings, barbed tails, fangs and claws. But in my story there is no God, no Heaven or Hell. I used the names merely for their resemblance.

8/16/06

**Tarnished Soul**

Many, many years ago, the Greater Daemons ruled over the Lesser demons, as the Greater Angels ruled over the Lesser angels. But, the Lesser races grew bolder in their servitude, and planned to overthrow their Masters and Lords. They drove them underground, and centuries of time made them forget the truth of what happened, and the Greater races were made out to be creatures of myth, never having existed.

But, in reality, they existed. They lived underground, having forgotten what had truly happened as well over time, until all they knew was that if they went above ground, they were killed.

But one Greater Daemon did go above ground. A mother, on the run from her husband, and with her two sons in tow, fled the depths of the caves and hid on the forbidden surface world.

But her husband was not going to let his prized sons go so easily. Led by him, a raiding party of Greater Daemons attacked the village she had hidden in. She was killed, and Bakura, her eldest, was taken by his father back to the caves.

Ryou, the youngest, was lost.

Raised by his father, Bakura became a weapon, used by his father against his enemies. For fourteen years Bakura lived this way, killing under his father command.

A life of bloodshed and death warped the mind of the youth, until he became unstable and eventually went insane. Slaying his guards, he escaped.

To the surface world.

- - -

It was a dark night. The human soldiers shifted uneasily, walking down the road towards one of the smaller villages that they were to spend the night at, while in the morning they would continue on to a neighboring Kingdom as their King had commanded.

Something was not right in the air…

"Look, there!" One soldier said, pointing. A dark figure had appeared, standing in their way, thirty feet down the road.

"It's a demon, look! See the wings?" another soldier exclaimed, struggling to see through the darkness.

"Oy, demon!" One soldier hailed, "Are you in need of aide?" the demon just stood there, watching them with glowing eyes.

"Look…its eyes are glowing…that's not a demon." The first soldier whispered.

"What is it then?" another scoffed.

"I don't know…" The soldier drew his sword, and as if this was a signal the others did as well.

With an enraged howl, the creature leaped forwards, blades suddenly flashing in the moonlight. Black Shadows seemed to roil out from beneath his feet, blurring his form and making it difficult for the archers to sight. Screams rent the air as one after another the victims fell, slashed and burned, bleeding onto the ground.

Bakura was angry. He was always angry, and these pathetic humans will pay!

This will teach them…this will teach them all:

You don't mess with Bakura!

He whirled in a dance of death: slashing, cutting, burning, laughing.

Twenty-eight remained…

With movements as quick as chain lightning, Bakura cut down another opponent. Bones crunched beneath the force of the blow, and blood flew as he swept his blade in an arch.

Twenty-seven…

He was the darkness! He was the ultimate Lord of War, the Dealer of Death! None could face him and survive when he was in full fury!

Fangs bared, wings snapping behind him, Bakura dove into the masses of his enemies.

One blade got lodged under the rib of one foe, and was sequentially torn from his hand as he twisted to avoid a spear thrust. He noted one enemy, standing behind the others and moving his hands in the beginnings of a spell.

Not about to let a mage get a spell off, Bakura threw his dagger with all his might, the blade flashing in the moonlight and pierced the man's throat perfectly, dropping him limply to the ground.

Weaponless, but far from defenseless, Bakura's claws extended to their full length, and he whipped around to face his remaining enemies, head lowered to give him a slightly hunched appearance, his great wings arching. With a feral grin, red eyes glowing, he confronted his remaining foes.

All seventeen of them.

Stillness…the calm before the storm…

Suddenly his body tensed, and he leaped into their midst, slashing with his claws, biting and tearing with fangs, and lashing out with his barbed tail and clawed wings…

The blood bath that ensued was to be spoken of in future tales as a night of pure, wanton slaughter. Death by a savage means and done with enjoyment from the perpetrator was considered one of the worst of fates.

By morning, all thirty-two of the humans were slain, their life-blood soaking the earth and staining the soil.

- 0-0 -

In a land where humans were not the only intelligent race to inhabit the earth, there existed two others: the angels and the demons.

The two races exist with the humans and each other, and the earth was populated with kingdoms, villages, and towns. Not all was peaceful, though. Some kingdoms were at war with others, certain lords feuding over land and territory, while the members of town councils squabbled to get a position on their king's court.

The villages that peppered the lands between kingdoms and their outlying towns would fight tooth and nail to keep their land and their freedom, while the nearby kingdoms would try and subvert the village to their own allegiance.

No, all was not peaceful.

Angels held themselves apart in their kingdoms, the humans in theirs, while the demons themselves had nearly driven their race to extinction with a massive civil war. In an angel kingdom you will find humans and demons, and in the human kingdom you will find angels and demons, but never in an amount to equal the main race of the kingdom.

And it was in this land of petty conflict and bloodshed that there arose one demon unlike any have witnessed before. Tales have it that he was born from the mythical Daemons of old, full of the savage desire to kill, maim, and destroy, and with fiery eyes. Legend states that he had twice the strength of a demon, and could move faster than any angel. He drank the blood of his enemies, and on a dark night could disappear at will, blending into the darkness.

None of this had been proven true, quite similar to the superstitions and rumors of werewolves, ghosts, and, of course, Angels and Daemons of the old lands. No one was sure what was true, and what was false, as no one had ever had a good look at him, or caught him in he act.

But there are rumors, and supposed 'evidence', of this dreadful creature's existence. Namely, the ravaged village of Hamset, the haunting cries that echoed on the night of the Blood moon around the Norshire kingdom, and the devastated coastal town of Nathaya.

And now, this…

Humans, angels, and the few demons of the town of Sinsole gathered around the scene, wide-eyed with shock, their horses and their carts of goods forgotten. The bodies of thirty-two soldiers, all human, lay on the ground, ripped and torn, the earth below them stained a dark red.

The scene of carnage was located on the road leading to the realm of Solomon, and his Kingdom, Kame. Sinsole was one of many small towns that existed within Kame's boundaries, and the customary trading of goods had started that morning as it always had.

That is…until they reached the area where these soldiers had made a stand, and been slaughtered.

Now, Solomon was an angel, as were his two sons, Atemu and Yugi. His kingdom consisted mainly of humans, with a fair amount of angels, and a scattering of demons. He was a fair king, separating himself from the cutthroat politics of the Kings that neighbored him.

He did not tax his subjects unfairly, and was actually, genuinely concerned with the well-being and prosperity of his lands.

When he heard news of the slaughter, King Solomon dispatched two trusted warriors to go and see what had happened, and inspect the site for evidence. Along with them, he sent his eldest son, Atemu. He also sent a battalion along, humans mostly with a few angels mixed in.

Flying at top speed, the three angels reached the area in fifteen minutes. One thing they did was immediately clear the observers, sending them about their business. Once the battalion arrived, having had to walk instead of fly since the majority were humans, they set themselves up to guard the area and prevent any civilians from walking too close.

Atemu and the two selected warriors, Jou and Honda, inspected the site, jotting notes as they examined one body after another, the marks in the earth, and the lack of anything to tell of the enemy that might have done this.

The only bodies were those of Solomon's soldiers, the only weapons belonged to them as well, and while some of the fallen bore signs of knife wounds, the others were slashed, ripped, and torn apart in a way that reminded them of the old tales of great beasts that possessed great fangs and claws.

"Man, Jou, what do you think did this?" Honda remarked, inspecting one long knife wound that was…burnt? Yes…it was burnt around the edges…Honda shuddered, trying not to breathe too deeply as the sun rose and began to heat the area. Flies buzzed around, and in the sky vultures could be seen circling.

Honda and Jou were both in training to be the King's Investigators and Guard for the Prince, and so the King had decided this was a good opportunity for the three of them.

"We need to get the bodies moved," Atemu said, eyeing the circling birds. He gestured to the surrounding soldiers, and they nodded, moving forwards.

Atemu waved at Honda and Jou, and they followed him a short distance away from where the soldiers were setting up a borrowed wagon to place the corpses on.

"What do you think?" the Crown Prince asked his close friends, nodding towards the wagon.

"I don't know, man," Jou sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair. "I don't know. It looks like they were knifed, you know?" He kept glancing at the slaughter, before glancing away again, before his eyes trailed back almost against his will.

He gave an shudder when he realized that not all the bodies were as whole as they seemed, as a few of the soldiers realized when they lifted one, and ended up having two…he glanced away quickly, furiously focusing on something other than the slaughter.

"Yeah…but they were also mauled." Honda pointed out. "And it does not look like two creatures, but one.' Atemu sighed, rubbing his forehead. This was a puzzle, and while he normally enjoyed puzzles, he didn't like the ones that involved real life and dead people.

"You know what it sounds like, right?" Jou said quietly, glancing about as if suspecting someone listening in.

"Come on, Jou," Honda said, "You know that's just stories from scared peasants."

"What?" Atemu questioned, glancing between the two.

"Nothing, it is just stories," Honda replied, waving it off.

"No it's not!" Jou said, and turned to the Crown Prince. "There have been rumors going around…a strange creature, nasty thing he is, running around and killing." Jou said, dead serious. Once again he glanced over towards the soldiers and their grisly work.

"Those are just stories!" Honda protested, and Jou frowned at him.

"What about that coastal town? People were murdered there!" Jou said, and motioned to the north. "Then there was that one town, Hamset, burned and destroyed by a winged creature with flaming eyes!"

"Yeah, and those cries on the night of the Blood moon by Otogi's castle," Honda said, shaking his head. "There are logical explanations for those, I'm sure."

"What? What do you think it is, Jou?" Atemu asked, frustrated. He didn't get to listen to the gossip that flitted about the kingdom like his friends could.

"A Daemon…" Jou said quietly, regarding the bloody, torn ground as the soldiers moved towards the Kingdom with the corpses.

"A demon? Well, okay, what's the problem with that?" Atemu asked, now royally confused. If it was a demon, then they would just apprehend the murderer. What was the big deal?

"Not a demon, a Daemon." Jou corrected, putting an emphasis on the "De", as was usual when discussing the mythical creature verses the demons they see everyday. There was a slight difference in pronunciation in how the names were said, but easily misunderstood as the other when you didn't listen closely.

"You can't mean…" Atemu trailed off, seeing the seriousness in Jou's eyes. His blonde friend flipped his wings nervously, slightly embarrassed, but determined to stick to his views.

"Think about it! He looks like a demon, yes, but there are things he does that only the Daemons of the old tales can do!" Jou said, and sighed as Honda shook his head.

"Well…while it seems unlikely, I think I'll keep my mind open to all possibilities." Atemu said after a moment's thought, and Jou grinned.

"How are we going to tell the King that one of the mythical Daemons did this?" Honda asked, pulling a leaf off a nearby tree and tearing it into strips, brow furrowed in thought.

"I don't know…we'll have to just hope he doesn't laugh at us right off the bat," Atemu groaned, rubbing his head.

"Sound's good. How are we going to start?" Jou asked, stretching his gold and beige wings in the warm breeze.

"First off we'll inform my father, and we'll continue from there." Atemu said with a smile.

With that, they took to the air, the vultures dispersing around them. They flew over the soldiers and towards the distant castle, gliding on the spring breeze.

- 0-0 -

Ryou was reading a wonderful book, full of fantasy and adventure. There were dragons, princesses, knights in shining armor!

"Ryou?"

The book was a story about a grand quest of one brother searching for his missing brother, who had been kidnapped by pirates!

"Hey, Ryou!"

It was tremendously exciting, and Ryou didn't want to stop reading for anything. There were oceans, mountains, dense jungles! Cannibals, sea monsters, and an old sea witch!

"RYOU!"

Ryou jerked, blinking up at the faces of his best friends. They were twins, with sandy hair, intense violet eyes, and large arching wings of pale gold feathers with glittering white tips.

"Sorry, Malik, Marik. What were you saying?" Ryou said softly, smiling at them. Malik, the shorter and younger of the two, shook his head, sighing dramatically at the demon. Ryou was the only demon in the Vitone village, and as such was slightly proud and slightly shy because of it. He had grown up with Malik, Marik, and their elder sister Isis, and so considered them his family.

"We were telling you that lunch was ready." He sighed. "Isis is out tending to Tea, you know, the girl who got hurt in the forest? So I made it!" He struck a pose, grinning broadly.

Marik snorted, pushing him aside. "We made it," He corrected, holding out a hand to Ryou and pulling his friend to his feet. "Tea…what a bitch. Always complaining!" he muttered about the human girl, curling his lip.

(A/N: No offense to any Tea fans reading this! I had to use someone random, and she was the first I had thought of!)

"Come on! For lunch we have…" he paused, and seemed to be trying to think of a name for it. "We have something special!"

"Then I'm really afraid," Ryou said, grinning. Malik scoffed, pulling Ryou along.

"Nonsense! We made a wonderful meal of…um, we made a wonderful meal!" Malik pulled Ryou into the house that he shared with the eccentric twins and their sister, and Ryou's nose twitched at the smell that permeated the building.

It actually smelled good…

"See? We did a great job!" Malik sniffed, sounding hurt. Ryou smiled and gave his friend a quick hug.

"I'm sorry for doubting you guys." He giggled, and followed Marik into the kitchen. "It really does smell good," he commented, flipping his tail about lazily, the barbs folded back so that they were barely noticeable. (Think of the puffer fish, the spines on it are not that noticeable until it puffs up)

"That's the spirit! Here you go, a plate for you," Marik chuckled, handing a plate of…something…to Ryou. "One plate of food for our resident demon!" the angel snickered, purposely stepping on Ryou's tail.

"Yeowch!" Ryou yelped, pulling away, the barbs on his tail snapping out. Marik hastily stepped back, though he was still grinning. Ryou gave him a weak glare. "That wasn't funny," He muttered, soothing the barbs back into their normal position.

"It's fun to get you riled up, Ryou." Marik chuckled. Ryou gave him another glare, smacking him lightly.

"I'll bite you," He warned, grinning. He carried his plate into the living room, plopping down.

"Careful, Marik, he might have rabies." Malik chirped, carrying his own plate in after his friend. Ryou threw a carrot at the other.

"Do not."

"Heh…" Malik took a bite. "Mmm…we did a good job, Marik. Better hurry up, Isis wants us to help her so that she can finish before that big storm hits."

"Storm?" Ryou blinked.

"Yep," Marik nodded. "There's supposed to be a big one tonight." He inhaled his food, eyeing Ryou's.

"Feel sorry for anyone stupid enough to try and fly in it." Malik commented, taking care of their plates.

"Yep, it's supposed to be really bad." Marik said, gathering up his fishing pole. "You know, fish always bite before a storm…anyone up?" He grinned, and the other two smiled back, grabbing their poles.

"Let's go fishing!"

- - -

"What?" Jou exclaimed, while Atemu stared in surprise. They were standing before King Solomon, on one of his private balconies.

"You mean it is true? There really _are_ Daemons?" Honda said, just as shocked as his friends.

"Yes, they are real. They're called the Greater Daemons." King Solomon explained. "It is a secret normally known only to the King and his advisors. After all, if everyone knew, there'd be panic, and then the innocent demons who haven't done anything wrong would start getting persecuted, because not everyone is going to stop and look for the differences between Great Daemons and normal demons."

"That makes sense…" Atemu mused.

"What are the differences?" Jou wondered at the same time.

"First, I'm going to need you three to promise not to mention that I told you to _anyone_." Solomon said gravely. "Atemu, you would have found out when you were made King, but I still need all of you to promise me."

"I promise," the three swore, raising their right hand and arching their wings, as was traditional.

"Alright, I'm going to place great trust in you three not to abuse this information." Solomon said, and motioned for them to follow him off the balcony and back inside, to his study, where he went to his book case and retrieved a key from his pocket.

He crouched down and opened a hidden door in the bottom panel of the book case, pulling out an old, leather-bound book.

He opened it up and motioned for them to come closer as he sat in a chair.

"Okay, first off, what is it you know of how Daemons look?" Solomon asked them, leaning back and holding the book in his lap.

"Um…they are like normal demons, but they have red eyes." Jou offered, and Solomon nodded. "But you can't trust that as normal demons have red eyes sometimes too."

"Correct, anything else?" he asked, glancing about. There weren't that many that the general public knew, so when he didn't receive anymore answers, he wasn't surprised.

"Well, the lesser known differences are few, but obvious and hard to hide." He opened the book and showed them an illustration. It looked like the usual demon, but he pointed to the wings. "Two claws on the wing, not one." He flipped to a different page. "The tail barbs are twice as long as a normal demons', and there are three black rings near the tip of each barb." He tapped the illustration showing a close up of the tail and its deadly barbs with their hooks on the edges.

"You are serious about this?" Honda remarked, eyes wide with wonder. All his life he had been taught to believe that Daemons were myths and the stuff of legends, something to scare children when they didn't behave.

"Yes." Solomon said, and pulled out something that was inset in the book's back cover. He held up a thin, long quill. It was as nearly four inches long, and was similar in appearance to a feather quill, being wider at the bottom and pointed at the top. The tip had three bands around it, and there were small hooks on the inside of the barb's curve.

"That's…" Jou trailed off, peering at it. "That is the real thing, isn't it?"

"Yes. This is a quill from the tail of a Greater Daemon." Solomon said. "There are a few more differences, but not so noticeable."

"So the claws on the wing, and the tail barbs?" Atemu asked; eyes narrowed.

"Yes." Solomon answered. "From everything I've been hearing, there is a Daemon on the loose, and he's dangerous." He shook his head. "That is one thing I don't quite understand…Daemons are deadly, yes. They're temperamental…but never like this."

"You said they live underground, right?" Atemu asked, thinking hard. "And that they remain underground, believing the surface to be dangerous? Well…maybe he's an outcast from their society…and got exiled up to the 'dangerous surface' to die."

"That has merit, certainly." Solomon mused. It was a possibility, one of many. Maybe also the Daemon was a scout at the head of a larger army. There were many reasons why he could be here. "The important thing right now, boys, is that he's out there and he's killing people. I have something I wish you to do, but it's going to be dangerous…"

"You want us to go out and see if we can find him, without letting everyone know that one of their myths have come alive." Atemu guessed, and was rewarded with a smile from his father.

"Yes…" Solomon answered. If they could find him, knowing what to look for, the dangerous creature could be caught and contained.

"We'll do it!" Jou said, grinning. "You can count on us." Honda nodded, and Atemu smiled at his father.

"Be careful, okay?" Solomon said; his eyes serious. "I suggest you start looking north of here; that is where most the reports came in." he stood, replacing the barb in its slot and put the book in its hidden compartment.

"What do we do when we find him?" Honda asked; standing and stretching.

"I don't want you to confront him, as he is very dangerous." Solomon answered. "But if you do find him, try and keep track of him, and notify me, alright?" he stood and hugged his son, pulling him close. "Be very careful."

Atemu smiled reassuringly at his father.

"Don't worry, we will." He bowed, turned, with Jou and Honda in tow, and walked out of the private rooms of the King.

"Atemu!"

The Crown Prince turned around, and saw his younger brother, Yugi, running towards him.

"Where are you going now?" He asked when he reached them, narrowing his large eyes.

"On a trip," Atemu responded. Yugi frowned at him, knowing he was leaving things out. He ran up and hugged his brother.

"Be careful, okay? Knowing you guys, you'll probably get in trouble." Yugi said, grinning at his brother.

"Yeah, well, we're tough! We'll take care of ourselves." Jou said, ruffling Yugi's hair.

"Don't worry, we'll be careful." Atemu promised, grinning.

And they were off, to gather supplies and a map and be on their way.

"So where are we going?" Jou asked, as they flew away from the Kingdom.

"Well, we can't go as far as we wish to. Look over there." Atemu said, pointing off in the distance. Jou and Honda followed his gesture, and let out a low whistle. There were storm clouds building up, and it was going to be a bad one by the look of it.

"Yeah…I see what you mean." Honda muttered, eyeing the clouds warily. He wasn't the best of fliers anyways, and he did not want to see how he would manage in a storm.

"Well…there is a town about an hour away, straight ahead, that we can get too before that hits. From there, we will meet up with someone my father knows, and he will let us stay with him." Atemu explained, and his friends sighed with partial relief. No flying in storms.

Or so they thought.

- 0-0 -

End.

Well? How do you like? Never tried a Alternate Universe story before, and this idea has been sitting in my mind for a while. Thought I'd test it out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tarnished Soul**

"_What is darkness? Merely an absence of light. Or, perhaps, it is when the light is hidden away, to keep it from extinguishing. Darkness, whether good or ill, hides within itself. Maybe to protect itself? For when light comes into a darkened room, see you not how the shadows fall back? Does that not speak of fear, and a fear of being hurt? Many claim to be light, and others dark. Me? What am I but another lost soul looking for truth? Which way do I turn? Who do I follow? None. I shall go my own way. I shall stay in the shadows, neither dark nor light."_

Sirithiliel, Jynn A'Tonic

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. Story plot, world, etc is.

Summary: AU. Dark fic. Bakura, a demon like no one has ever seen one before, arrives in a land already torn by conflict, and it is up to the Angel Prince Atemu and Bakura's long lost brother, Ryou, to stop him. But is there something even darker on the horizon?

**Author's Explanation:** Now, when you hear 'angel', you probably think of the feather-winged avatars from God, and when you hear 'demon, you think of their evil, dragon-winged counterparts who exist in Hell. These are not those Angels, or those Demons. They are called by such names merely because they bear a resemblance to the mythical creatures. The angels of this earth did indeed have feathered wings, which is why they were named after the icon of purity and goodness. The demons bore the same resemblance to the demons of the religious type, with great bat wings, barbed tails, fangs and claws. But in my story there is no God, no Heaven or Hell. I used the names merely for their resemblance.

8/21/06

**Chapter Two**

About fifteen minutes away from the town the storm unleashed its fury, harsh winds nearly sent them into the ground, and the downpour of rain didn't help. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled about them.

By the time they landed in the town and found the human waiting for them, they were a wet, bedraggled mess. Their feathers had absorbed nearly their own weight in water, and the three angels sullenly tried to press the moisture out as they sat down in the man's house.

"Don't worry about the water on the floor," the man said, solemnly handing out mugs of tea. He also placed several towels nearby, and went to go fetch more, as puddles were quickly forming on the wooden floor.

"Thank you, Rishid." Atemu said, smiling at him. He was a family friend, someone who had known his father before his father was King, so Atemu had known the solemn human since he was little.

"No worries, young Master." He said, bowing. He went into the kitchen to cook them some dinner while the rain beat the windows and thunder roared overhead.

"Man, glad we're out of that." Jou exclaimed, blowing on his tea. Atemu regarded his black feathered wings with a miserable look, spreading them out slightly and attempting to sop up some of the water with a towel. The ruby and gold tips of each feather were dulled under the droplets.

"Sometimes I think it would be better to be a demon," Honda remarked, holding a mahogany feather that had come loose up before his eyes, "They probably don't worry about water and wings."

"Nope, they probably don't," Jou agreed, and sighed. "So, where are we going from here, O' Wise One?" He asked Atemu, rolling onto his stomach on the bed, his wings dangling to the floor on either side of him. Atemu pulled out the slightly damp and wrinkled map, examining it.

"Well, Rishid invited us to go with him to visit some of his friends in a small village that is a ways over." Atemu said; pointing on the map to the area he was talking about. "He said we might be able to pick up some information there, since some of the people that live there came from that village Hamset."

"Hamset?" Honda asked. "That was the one that had the fires all those years ago, right?"

"Yes," Atemu answered. "That's the one. Anyways, so I figure we'll go see what we can find out with him tomorrow."

"Sounds good!" Jou said, rolling over and falling asleep in the blink of an eye. Atemu raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. Honda was muttering curses under his breath as he tossed a soaked towel onto the pile of used cloth, and grabbed a fresh one.

"Give it up, Honda." Atemu commented with an amused smile. "You'll never get them dry tonight."

Honda sighed, deciding his Prince was correct, and tossed the towel aside, spreading his wings like Jou had done. He fell back on the couch, sighing.

"Better go to bed, we'll have to be going tomorrow and I want to get there before noon." Atemu suggested, rolling over and scowling at his damp wings.

"Yes, My Prince." Honda said, "Good night."

"Good night."

**- 0-0 -**

"Wake up, brothers."

Malik muttered, rolling to the right, away from Marik who slept soundly beside him. He clenched his eyes shut, hoping Isis would go away.

"Malik, get up." Spotting movement, Isis focused on her first victim. When a groan was her only answer, followed by a muffled protest, she sighed. Flipping the sleeves of her Healer robe back, she grabbed onto the bed sheet.

"You should have listened to me…" she warned, before yanking with all her might, her ebony wings flaring to add more strength to the pull.

Both boys emitted a yelp as they were pulled off the bed, and they glared up at their sister, who smiled back.

"Told you," suddenly, the playful sister was gone and the Healer was back. "Now wake up Ryou, we're going to have visitors." She turned and left the room, leaving the two sprawled on the floor and blinking.

"Well, I guess we better get Ryou back to the world of the living." Malik sighed, standing and hauling Marik up with him.

"You fix the bed, I'll wake him." Marik muttered, stomping moodily over to Ryou's bed by the window. There were only two beds in the small room, the larger one claimed by the twins. Their house was small, with the fore section being put forth as the Healer ward for the village, the back half their kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms.

Malik began making the bed, while Marik shook Ryou's shoulder. He received a groan and a low hiss, to which he snickered and doubled his efforts. Finally, with a final mutter and low growl, the white haired demon sat up and yawned.

"What do you want?" he asked, giving the two a weak glare as he stretched; his back and left wing popping. He noted the position of the sun out the window and groaned, curling back up in his blankets. Too early…

"Isis has _oh so_ kindly informed us that we are going to have visitors today," Malik said, folding the sheets neatly under the pillows. "Apparently she wanted us up at a decent hour to greet them." He ran a hand across the bed, smoothing any wrinkles that persisted.

"Great." Ryou muttered, and Marik patted him on the back before turning and jumping on the newly made bed. Ryou snickered while he uncurled and began dressing.

"Marik!" Malik protested, smacking his brother upside the head.

"Ow! Hey!" Marik bounded off the messed up bed and fled out of the door. Malik was hot on his heels, howling about the bed and 'ruined hard work'. Ryou sighed, running a brush through his hair tiredly before following them out.

It was chaos; Marik was fleeing Malik around the table in the kitchen, while Isis ignored them both and studiously cooked breakfast. Ryou inhaled the smell of eggs, bacon, biscuits, fruit, and tea, and gave a great sigh of contentment. There was nothing like a good breakfast to wake you up.

"Alright," Isis interrupted the demon's musings, "Malik, Marik, stop it. It's time to eat."

Almost immediately, the two stopped and spun about, sitting in the chair nearest them.

"Food! Let's eat!" Malik cheered, banging his fork on the table. Isis sighed. _Now_ she remembered why she usually let them sleep until they woke up on their own: after their moaning and groaning about being woken had worn off, they became excessively hyper.

All three of them.

**- 0-0 -**

Later, Malik and Marik were perched in a flowering tree, eagerly waiting for Ryou to walk by so that they could get revenge on him for stealing all of the bacon that morning.

"Are you ready?" Marik whispered, lilac eyes sparkling with barely contained glee. Malik, who was a bit less enthused, but unable to deny his brother, (and wanting some revenge himself), nodded.

"Okay then."

**- 0-0 -**

Jou sighed, stretching his arms above him as he reveled in the warm spring heat.

"Man, I love this weather!" he commented, smiling in contentment. Atemu couldn't help but agree. The Kingdom had this weather, yes, but with the bustle it was hard to notice, and the Kingdom _definitely_ did not have beautiful flowering trees, fruit orchards, or the bubbling stream going through sloping hills, sun streaming through the large trees.

It was so peaceful…

**- 0-0 -**

"Here he comes…" Marik whispered excitedly, peering through the flowered, leafy branches.

"Are you sure?" Malik hissed back.

"Yeah, sure. I see black wings. Means Isis must be with him. Can't hurt to get her too! She didn't make enough bacon, so Ryou stole it all!" Marik responded, practically fluttering in his eagerness. He didn't really see Ryou, but he must be with her. He was, after all, having Healer training with her today.

Soon…

**- 0-0 -**

Atemu followed Rishid, marveling at the beauty of this place. It was so wonderful…so quiet, without all the noise of the kingdom…what with the market place, the people, the horses, the dogs, the soldiers, and…well, it went on and on.

"I could really learn to like this place…" Honda said, smiling widely, eyeing the tall, silent man leading them. Had he ever seen someone so serious? Yes…that bastard Seto Kaiba and his stupid lordly attitude…

Seriously, just because he was a King at eighteen, and King of a wealthy kingdom at that, he thought he owned the world.

"So, can we expect any - " Atemu's voice cut off with a yelp as suddenly a large amount of what seemed to be pond water was dropped on all four from the branches of a nearby tree.

Yes, it was pond water, complete with weeds, that green surface scum stuff, and one very surprised frog that got tangled in Atemu's spiky hair.

They heard laughter, and two figures swung down.

"We got you Ryou! We…got…" Marik trailed off, eyes widening when he realized what he had done.

"Oh dear…" Malik muttered, backing behind Marik.

"What happened?"

Both of them gulped, glancing over to see Isis standing nearby, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"Um…hi Isis!"

"Heh…funny thing…we thought they were you and Ryou…" Marik hastily explained, as Isis led the three sputtering angels and the stoic Rishid inside to dry off.

"Man, and my wings were almost dry from yesterday too!" Jou whined, rubbing vigorously with a towel. Atemu was stone-faced, trying to untangle the frog, and Honda was muttering.

"I'm terribly sorry for my brothers!" Isis said, turning around. When she calmed down enough to actually _look_ at who was with Rishid, she paled and her eyes widened.

"Rishid…" she trailed off. She had been with enough injured/sick people to hear gossip and what the Crown Prince of Kame looked like, and to have him in _her_ house, in _her_ village…

Generally, anyone from a village would not be as welcoming to a person from a Kingdom as they would to anyone else, but to have the PRINCE!

"Marik…Malik…go outside. I will talk to you later." She said, her voice deadly calm even as her eyes stayed glued to the three wet angels before her. Marik knew better than to argue when she was like this, and hastily dragged his brother outside.

"Please, forgive them." She apologized, flinching mentally at the thought of what the Crown Prince might do to her brothers for such an insult…she was an awfully protective sister, and couldn't think of anything to do to save this situation.

"No fear, ma'am." Atemu said with a sigh. He could see the fear in her eyes, and knew what it was for. He absently set the frog on the floor, and it hopped off to some unknown destination.

Isis felt immensely relieved, and couldn't express her gratitude. She had heard that the Crown Prince was not like the usual royals from the other realms, but she hadn't wanted to place to much hope into gossip.

"Thank you, for your generosity. I care for my brothers, though they are slightly…eccentric." She replied, and went to the door leading to their living quarters.

"Ryou! Ryou I need you for a moment." She called, and then went to Rishid and whispered softly with him, gesturing curtly. He could be heard apologizing back, and the three angels glanced at each other.

"Yes, Isis?" came a soft voice, hesitant at the sight of strangers. They turned to look, and had to work hard to stop their jaws from dropping.

Two claws on the wing…red eyes (though they looked a tad on the brownish side).

He moved cautiously past them, eyeing them carefully as he moved towards Isis. His tail, curling and uncurling like a cat's when it is nervous, lashed out as he sidled away. These strangers were giving him the oddest of looks, and it was beginning to creep him out.

And, in his nervousness, the barbs on his tail flicked upright and back down.

They had three bands near the tip, and were twice as long as the demons the three usually saw.

Ryou held a hurried conversation with Isis, before walking outside after the twins.

"Did you guys see that?" Jou whispered; staring wide eyed at the door, left open to the spring breeze.

"Kind of hard to miss when you know what to look for," Honda replied dryly. Atemu was deep in thought, staring out the door.

"He seemed awfully nervous…do you think he's our man?" Jou asked, leaning back on his elbows.

"I don't know…he didn't seem the type…but then again, you can never tell, can you?" Atemu mused, resting his chin on his knee. "Besides, with all three of us staring at him, no wonder he was nervous."

"How do you know if he doesn't seem the type?" Honda asked, blinking.

"It's in the eyes," Atemu said absently. He sensed stares, and looked up, to see both Jou and Honda giving him odd looks. "What?"

"'It's in the eyes'?" Jou repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You can be so weird."

"Well, I'm sorry." Atemu glared, though he smiled. "We'll keep our minds open, and if he seems guilty, we'll get him then, okay?" he shook his head. "But he really doesn't seem like the guy to me, but we'll see."

Isis and Rishid finished up their conversation, Isis looking worried, while Rishid looked like a mix between apologetic and harried.

"Well, I am sorry for my brothers, once again, and welcome you to my house." Isis told the three, bowing her head slightly. "I am Isis, the Healer for this village. My brothers, Marik and Malik, you have met." At this she looked a bit embarrassed. "And Ryou, who is as much a part of our family as I am, you have seen as well."

Was it Atemu's imagination, or did she look a little nervous at the mention of Ryou? Did she know what he was? Atemu's mind said, 'yes', she did…and his instincts were normally very good.

"According to Rishid, you are investigating a murder?" she asked, looking genuinely curious.

"Yes. We believe the culprit was involved in the Hamset tragedy." Atemu explained.

"Yes…we have a few that escaped from there during that night." Isis said, sounding a bit tense. Atemu glanced up, eyes narrowing. Once again, his instincts were telling him something…

"You were there…" he said softly, without meaning too. Isis' eyes widened, and Atemu could've sworn she had paled.

"Yes, I was there. As were my brothers," her eyes slid away from Atemu's intense ones, "As was Ryou…"

The three stiffened at that.

"Do you…know what he is?" Atemu asked softly, unsure if he should be voicing the question. She shot him a startled look.

"Do you?" she asked back, eyes watching him closely again.

"Yes…"

"How do you know?" She whispered; eyes wide again.

"My father told us. We believe the murderer is a Daemon." Atemu explained, and Isis' eyes closed.

"Whatever you think, it is not Ryou." She said; her voice firm. She opened her eyes and they burned with her determination. "Ryou is not the one you seek!" she stood, nodded to them, and headed to the door. "I need to find my brothers before they cause more trouble," she paused, and turned to look at them. "Don't tell my brothers. They don't know. And that includes Ryou."

And she was gone.

Rishid nodded to them as well, and picked up their used towels and went into the back room.

"Do you believe her on that too?" Honda asked, rubbing his head. Atemu, who had been gazing at the floor in thought, looked up.

"Yes."

**- 0-0 -**

Malik, Marik, and Ryou were sprawled on one of the small hills, enjoying the warm sun as they lay on the green grass. They were on their backs, staring at the clouds.

"What is the big deal with these guys?" Malik muttered, pulling petals off of a daffodil and flicking them away, watching the breeze catch them and take off with them.

Marik sighed, watching as the clouds chased each other across the cobalt sky.

"I heard the local gossip when I was helping Isis with the blacksmith's crushed hand," he said, idly tracing the shape of a duck he saw in a cloud in the air with his finger. The three of them normally didn't go into the village center. Their house was situated on the outskirts, and they preferred the country side.

"And?" Ryou pressed, and Marik realized he had been lost in thought after his sentence.

"Anyways, the nearest Kingdom, Kame or whatever," he blinked away one of Malik's flower petals from his eye before continuing. "Well, its two princes are identical twins, though they are two years apart. They both have black hair, with red and gold highlights."

There was a five second pause, before Malik rolled over and exclaimed a loud "WHAT?"

Ryou stared at the sky, frowning. The angel back at the house did have a regal bearing to him…Ryou just didn't like strangers, and didn't like the odd stares he got from those three.

Malik was ranting in the background of Ryou's thoughts about how he and Marik had dumped pond water on a PRINCE.

"Malik? Is something wrong? I can hear you all the way by the stream."

It was Isis. She calmly walked up the hill towards the three of them, eyeing her youngest brother with concern.

"Isis, did you know that the one in there with the funny hair is a PRINCE?" Malik cried, jumping up and facing his sister.

"Yes, and you two are forgiven." She replied, much to the relief of Malik. Ryou noted her giving him a concerned look as well, but couldn't figure out why.

He hadn't done anything, had he?

"Anyways, it's starting to get dark. Let's head inside, there might be another storm tonight. I invited the Rishid, Prince Atemu and his friends to dinner. So be on your best behavior, okay?" she warned, leading them back to the house.

Dinner was a quiet affair, Malik offering tentative questions on what it was like to live in a big kingdom, which were answered readily by Jou, who had taken it upon himself to speak and attempt to be friendly.

Atemu mused on their problem through dinner, offering a comment here and there during the conversation, but mostly being silent.

Mainly, he was confused. His instincts say that, yes, Ryou was a Daemon. But the Daemon didn't _know_ he was a Daemon, and by way of a hunch Atemu did not think he had done the murders. He was normally right about these things, but he didn't have any _proof_.

And how was he going to prove it?

After dinner, everyone relaxed in the living room, enjoying a small game of Farkle, each rolling their dice and trying to amount the highest number total. Ryou, Isis, and Atemu were the only ones not playing.

Ryou was reading his book again, curled up in an armchair, tail twitching lazily. Isis was folding bandages in the fore section of the house, while Atemu sat in the other chair, watching the game while he thought.

And his thoughts hadn't reached a possible conclusion yet, chasing each other around in his head and looping upon one another until he was about to drive himself mad.

"I'm going for a walk," he announced suddenly, eager for a breath of the fresh night air.

"Do you wish for someone to accompany you?" Rishid asked, solemnly rolling his dice and sighing when he came up with a grand total of eleven, whereas Marik and Malik had fifteen and nineteen, while Jou and Honda were evenly matched at thirteen.

"Nay, I shall be fine." He responded, standing and exiting, nodding to Isis on his way out.

Walking out under the stars, with the cool spring breeze toying with his hair and feathers, he felt content. The Healer house already being on the outskirts of the village, it didn't take him long to get out to where the darkness seemed encompassing, the lights of the village not quite out of sight, but far enough to give him a sense of being alone in the world, under the stars.

It was a nice feeling.

**- 0-0 -**

"Ha! Twenty three! Beat that!" Malik crowed, clapping his hands excitedly. Ryou glanced up from his book, before marking his place carefully and standing up, stretching.

"Be right back," He murmured, leaving the room and walking past Isis, outside.

"Okay. Be careful Ryou!" Malik hollered, snickering.

"Yeah, don't trip on your tail and fall now!" Marik shot after, laughing outright.

Ryou sighed, smiled, and shook his head. He walked out, under the stars, and spread his wings to go for a small flight.

How he loved to fly.

**- 0-0 -**

Atemu was heading back to the village when he paused, cold fear rushing through his veins at a sound that echoed around him suddenly.

It was a low, feral growl.

It seemed to echo from the very darkness around him, and quite suddenly the shadows weren't comforting anymore, and the stars were cold.

He turned, slowly, and looked behind him, into the deep depths of night that extended all about.

Extended all around, except the village's lights over yonder…

Could he run that distance? It would probably be faster to fly, but even then, could he make it?

The growl continued, deepening, and its owner came into view.

Into view being a phrase, as it was dark enough that not much was seen even as the person came closer to the Prince.

Atemu wanted to ask who they were, what they were doing, but couldn't get any words past the lump in his throat. He knew that if he was seeing himself, his eyes would be as wide as Yugi's, his tanned skin pale, and trembling.

The sound made his hair stand up and it seemed as if he was viewing a nightmare, which he could very well be.

The only things that he could see on the stranger was the dim light of the stars and barely-visible crescent moon on his arching wings….which had two claws on them…and his eyes blazed red, glowing in the darkness, and the dim outline of his form, not extraordinarily tall, about Jou's height, and also slender, almost delicately built.

The stars illuminated him a bit further…

…revealing silver hair.

The eyes glowed brighter, and the growl erupted into a full-fledge snarl as he leaped at the Prince, a blade glinting for a moment.

**- 0-0 -**

Everyone had been enjoying themselves in the game, laughing as it winded down and they cast their final rolls.

But then the screams began.

Startled, they stood and shot out the door, Isis following.

"Atemu? ATEMU!" Jou shouted, and he suddenly collided with the frightened Prince just outside the house, who was pale and wide eyed, muttering something furiously.

About Ryou.

"What happened? Atemu, tell us what happened!" Honda pleaded, shaking his Prince.

"Ryou…it was Ryou." Atemu gasped out, and stared over their shoulders in stark terror. They spun around, Jou and Honda moving defensively in front of Atemu.

Ryou stood there, staring in shock at the scene.

"Ryou, you are hereby placed under arrest,"

**- 0-0 -**

End.

Thanks to all reviewers: Vitone, Thunderstorm101, koinu27, MIA kenz, Natasha, Kanashimi no Tenshi


	3. Chapter 3

**Tarnished Soul**

"_What is darkness? Merely an absence of light. Or, perhaps, it is when the light is hidden away, to keep it from extinguishing. Darkness, whether good or ill, hides within itself. Maybe to protect itself? For when light comes into a darkened room, see you not how the shadows fall back? Does that not speak of fear, and a fear of being hurt? Many claim to be light, and others dark. Me? What am I but another lost soul looking for truth? Which way do I turn? Who do I follow? None. I shall go my own way. I shall stay in the shadows, neither dark nor light."_

Sirithiliel, Jynn A'Tonic

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. Story plot, world, etc is.

Summary: AU. Dark fic. Bakura, a demon like no one has ever seen one before, arrives in a land already torn by conflict, and it is up to the Angel Prince Atemu and Bakura's long lost brother, Ryou, to stop him. But is there something even darker on the horizon?

**Author's Explanation:** Now, when you hear 'angel', you probably think of the feather-winged avatars from God, and when you hear 'demon, you think of their evil, dragon-winged counterparts who exist in Hell. These are not those Angels, or those Demons. They are called by such names merely because they bear a resemblance to the mythical creatures. The angels of this earth did indeed have feathered wings, which is why they were named after the icon of purity and goodness. The demons bore the same resemblance to the demons of the religious type, with great bat wings, barbed tails, fangs and claws. But in my story there is no God, no Heaven or Hell. I used the names merely for their resemblance.

09/17/06

**Chapter Three**

"Ryou, you are hereby placed under arrest," Jou intoned, shaking slightly at what he had to do.

"What?" Malik, Marik, and Isis shouted as one. They had followed the Jou and Honda outside, with Rishid close behind.

"But you can't prove it was him!" Malik shouted, tears gathering in his eyes.

"It couldn't have been Ryou!"

"Let's all just calm down, and go inside. We'll discuss this in a mannerly fashion." Isis said, and everyone decided this was a wise idea and followed her indoors.

Atemu was set on a bed and handed a mug of tea to calm his frayed nerves. He was already breathing easier, and his thoughts were once again becoming organized and coherent.

"Now, what happened Atemu?" Isis asked, primly making tea for everyone. Ryou was sitting between Marik and Malik, staring at the ground.

"I went for a walk," Atemu said, shuddering as he thought about it. "And out of nowhere this Daemon appeared. He had silver hair, and then he leaped at me," He glanced at Ryou, before looking away. "I panicked, and flew as fast as I could back here. I think he started to fly after me, but stopped when you guys came out." He was trembling again. "He was so fast…if you guys hadn't scared him off, he would have caught me."

"Was it Ryou?" Isis asked calmly, and Atemu had to admire her ability to maintain a calm exterior in a crisis.

Atemu paused to consider the question. It had looked like Ryou, being a Daemon and having silver hair…but…

"No."

Everyone looked at him in surprise, even Ryou glanced up.

"No?" Jou repeated, blinking. "You were saying it was him when we found you!"

"I was panicking, like I said." Atemu replied. "He was too tall to be Ryou. He was as tall as you, Jou." The Prince said, eyeing his friend's height critically to make sure his observation was close. "But he did look a lot like Ryou."

"Look like Ryou?" Marik said, blinking at them. Then he realized something. "You said 'Daemon'. Everyone knows their myths." He said, narrowing his eyes.

"Not true, brother."

Everyone looked over at Isis in surprise.

"You mean they are real? But Ryou can't be a Daemon! He's not mean enough!" Malik exclaimed, causing Ryou to blush slightly. Him, a Daemon? Ridiculous!

"That is in part due to how he grew up." Isis explained. "Ryou is a Daemon. But he is not the one who attacked Prince Atemu." She said.

"And how do you know that?" Honda asked, just a tad snidely. "He had silver hair, and Ryou has silver hair!"

"Let her speak," Atemu said softly, and Honda muttered but did so.

"Ryou, just know that I never told you this for your own good." Isis said, turning to the Daemon. Ryou nodded, and she continued, addressing everyone. "I used to live in Hamset with Marik and Malik, and our parents." She began, glancing at her brothers who looked surprised.

"We had lived there?" Malik asked, before Marik shushed him.

"Yes. Anyways, our mother was the Healer of the village, and I was being trained under her supervision. One night a woman with two young children, one about two, the other four, stumbled in, seeking shelter. We gave it to them, and learned that she was a Daemon, fleeing her life underground with her sons."

Atemu was listening intently, for though she had told him a little bit about this, he could now hear the full tale.

"Being Healers, we couldn't just send her out for being a Daemon. So we accepted them into our home, keeping them from the other villagers. Ryou, you used to play with Malik and Marik all the time, but your brother…"

"My…brother?" Ryou asked, his voice low. He couldn't remember…a vague image…but nothing concrete.

"Yes. Well, he spent a lot of time in the orchard, reading. A few months later, out of the mountain caves came a group of Daemons, led by one of the most terrifying people I have ever seen. I was only eight at the time, but I still remember it." She paused, closing her eyes as she went deeper into the tale.

"They killed the villagers who came out to defend our village, and burned the houses. Their leader came after us, and my mother, as well as yours, Ryou, told us to run. I took you, Malik and Marik, and took off, flying as far away as we can. And when we couldn't fly, we ran." She shuddered. "Both our mother and father were killed in their attempt to cover our escape, as did Ryou's mother."

"And my brother?" Ryou whispered.

"Your brother..." She sighed, and her eyes, already glistening with unshed tears, showed unfathomable sorrow.

"Your brother was seen being taken by the Daemons back to their caves." She turned to Ryou, "Even though you two were two years apart, you both were exactly identical in appearance." At this, everyone's eyes widened.

"You mean…" Atemu trailed off. Isis nodded, sighing.

"It is Ryou's brother out there, killing and destroying." She said, looking as if the thought caused her pain. "He was such a darling child…how could this have happened?" and the tears fell.

"Is he here alone?" Atemu pressed, needing information. Marik and Malik were shocked, now knowing how their parents died, (it had never been spoken of before), and Ryou was staring into space, deep in his thoughts. He had a brother.

He had a brother!

But that brother was out there, killing and enjoying it…

"More than likely, he probably escaped his father's hold on him and fled up here. Why he is slaughtering people, I don't know." Isis replied, wiping the tears away.

"Why do you think that?" Honda asked.

"If you had seen their father, you would understand. His upbringing would have been harsh, there is no other way his father would raise him." Isis said, tears still falling.

"Maybe he went a little nuts down there then, eh?" Jou commented, and everyone fell silent as they absorbed the comment, and realized the possible truth in it.

"What are we going to do?" Ryou asked, and oddly enough, there was concern in his eyes.

"I don't know." Atemu responded, rubbing his temples. "If he is insane because of how he was raised, and it is a probable idea that he was raised by a ruthless father, then it is not necessarily his fault that he is the way he is."

"But that he still is out there killing people!" Honda reminded harshly, "He nearly killed you, remember?"

"I hate to agree, but even if it is because of how he was raised, he needs to be stopped." Jou agreed, sighing and leaning backwards in his seat.

"And I haven't forgotten that," Atemu replied, 'Don't think I could if I wanted too…' he mused to himself, "We need to notify my father of what happened, and our situation. Then we need to figure out how to stop him, and maybe even see if we can help him."

"Help him?" Ryou asked, fidgeting. He didn't even _know_ his brother, and yet he wanted to help him, because if his…_their_…father did this…

Ryou sighed. He had grown up in a loving household with Isis and the twins, while his brother probably had lived a miserable, dark life until he had escaped. Ryou just couldn't bear the unfairness of it all, and knew that a part of it was his own kindness. But another part was one of his deeper secrets that he wanted _his_ mother, or _his_ family, not just Isis, Marik, and Malik.

Not that he didn't love them, and appreciate them and their kindness towards him, but still…

"Yes, help him." Atemu said, thinking hard. "We might be able to…I can't think of the word, but the closest I can think of is 'cure' him." He shook his head. "Or maybe he's too far gone in his insanity to be helped."

"Well then we'll just have to see." Jou said, smiling cheerfully. If his Prince, and closest friend, thought it was worth a try to catch and actually try and 'cure' this murderer, then he'll trust him and help to his fullest extent.

"Yeah…" Honda agreed, a bit more reluctant on the idea, but still putting his trust into his Prince.

"We'll help too!" Malik volunteered, standing up.

"What?"

"Well, he is Ryou's brother, and apparently we had known him when we were little, so it is kind of our obligation to help him. After all, Ryou's basically been adopted into our little family, so that makes the other one family too…" Malik said, before looking a bit insecure and glancing at Isis.

"Doesn't it?" he wondered, thinking maybe he had gone too far on the subject.

"Yes, Malik. He is as much a part of our family as Ryou is. I believe there is hope for him to redeem himself," She replied, smiling at her brother and proud of his attitude on the subject.

"What is his name?" Marik wondered, because for the life of him he couldn't recall a name, or a face, or anything.

"Bakura," Ryou said, and everyone turned to stare at him.

"How did you know?" Isis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know…just…popped in my head while I was racking my poor brains trying to remember him…" Ryou said sheepishly.

"Well, I say we go to sleep and discuss this after breakfast tomorrow." Atemu interrupted, though he smiled slightly to comfort the jittery Ryou.

"A wise idea, it is getting late." Isis agreed, and she stood. "I'm afraid our house is small, but there is the couch, and it might be a bit odd, but we have the beds out in the fore section for Healing purposes, but could suit you for the night."

"Sounds great, thanks." Atemu replied, standing as well and immediately claimed the couch as his. Honda and Jou followed Rishid into the fore section to sleep in the beds out there.

In the bedroom with the twins and Ryou, they were softly discussing the day's events.

"A Daemon…I just can't believe it…" Malik wondered. "I thought all along they were just myths and stories for naughty children."

"Yeah…" Ryou mused, flicking his tail about and regarding the barbs absently.

"Well, it doesn't make you any different in our eyes," Marik reassured, and Ryou smiled in thanks.

"Just means I'll listen more carefully to your threats of biting me, though." Marik teased, grinning as Ryou snorted. Malik giggled, and they fell into a comfortable silence until they nodded off to sleep.

**- 0-0 -**

Bakura paced, hissing in agitation. The angel had gotten away, and that irritated him. He snapped his tail at a sapling as he passed, and it snapped from the force, the leaves torn in places from his barbs.

His father wasn't going to be too long to finish off the small blood feud that he was involved in down in the caves against the other Daemon tribe. Once he had quelled all the enemy down there, he would begin looking for his wayward son and bring him back.

Back to that hell! Bakura snarled, shuddering at the thought of what his father would do to him when he caught him. IF he caught him, that is.

Bakura did not know what he was looking for, but there was something…something in the back of his mind that urged him to keep looking, keep looking. If he found it, he stood a chance of never going back. But the more he tried to focus on what it was he was searching for, the harder it was to see.

So he just went with it, ranging the countryside and killing any who opposed him…or just happened to be there. He avoided the daylight, being used to the lightless depths of the caves. The light hurt his sensitive eyes.

He regarded the small forest he was currently hiding in. It was mostly sparse woodland, with the trees spread about, but there was a dense cluster of them near the center, which is where he was staying.

He crouched on the ground, observing the village in the beginning of dawn. It was small, it wouldn't take him long to slip though, a quiet shadow killing all in their sleep. And then he could burn the buildings…

But no…this wasn't the right time. Whatever he was searching for was tied up in this village, and he wanted to find it before he burned it down.

As the light began to brighten, the sun beginning to rise, he backed into the cluster of trees and found a nice, dark area to sleep the day away.

**- 0-0 -**

In the morning, over a breakfast that Isis and Rishid cooked up, they discussed what they could possibly do.

"We need to send a letter to my father," Atemu said, munching on sliced apples, delighting in the sweet taste.

"Yeah, and then we need to find this Bakura, and hopefully keep him busy until we can find a way to contain him." Honda put in, licking honey off his fingers. Jou was too busy eating to put in his two-sense, as were Marik and Malik.

"I really hope we can do this," Ryou admitted a tad bit sheepishly. When he got curious looks from Atemu and Honda, he blushed slightly. "Well…"

"He's your brother, and even if you don't remember him, it doesn't change that fact." Atemu said softly, smiling understandingly. Ryou smiled back, and they continued breakfast.

Surprisingly, Atemu and Ryou got along well, whereas Malik and Jou found similar spirits within each other. Honda and Marik, however, were a tad distrustful of each other.

Atemu got a boy from the stable to take a swift horse and deliver a message to King Solomon about their situation.

The rest of the day, Ryou did his Healer training with Isis, while Malik took the trio from the Kingdom to the more scenic areas around the village, while Marik helped Rishid with some repairs on the roof that had happened during the storm.

"Man, what is it like to live here all the time?" Jou asked, sprawled on the hill top that Malik, Marik, and Ryou had been cloud watching from the day before.

"Hmm…I don't really know. I like it here, it's quiet, peaceful, and all that." Malik replied, frowning slightly.

"How can you not know?" Honda wondered, spreading his wings out over the grass to soak up more of the sun.

"Well…I don't have anything to compare it too. I've never been to a Kingdom, or even a town. Only this village." Malik said, running his fingers through the primary feathers on his right wing, removing burrs that he had collected on their walk through the trees.

"And Hamset," Honda reminded, and Malik flinched, before nodding.

"Yes, that too. But I don't remember that, so I don't think it counts." Malik said, shrugging it off.

"Point," Jou put in, tossing a smooth, polished rock from hand to hand.

Malik jumped to his feet suddenly, motioning for them to follow.

"Come on! I have to show you the lake!" He said excitedly, "Only Marik, Ryou, and I know where it is! We go fishing there!" he explained, and he led them through the sparse woodland deeper into the forest that bordered the east side of the village.

They pressed through on a well worn, if small, path. And, suddenly, the small path lined with dense trees on both sides opened up into a small lake that sparkled in the light, small ripples from the light breeze ghosting across its surface.

"Beautiful," Atemu commented, watching with admiring eyes. A fish jumped somewhere, and a flock of ducks were out in the middle of the lake floating serenely.

"It is, isn't it?" Malik agreed. "I love it here." He sighed, sitting on a pile of rocks that went right up to the lake and even out into it a ways. It looked perfect for fishing.

"I can see why," Jou said hopping from rock to rock until he was on the one farthest out into the lake, balancing with wings half spread.

Honda and Atemu sat under a large willow, watching the scenery and just enjoying and appreciating life.

"Do you think what we doing is right?" Honda asked quietly.

"In trying to help this murderer, instead of slay him or put in prison for life?" Atemu responded, turning his friend.

"Yeah,"

"I don't know." The Prince sighed.

"Hmm. Are we even sure what we heard is the truth?" Honda wondered, sounding a tad unsure.

"I'm certain it is, but we can't prove it until we find this Bakura, and make sure that there are two, and not just Ryou." Atemu explained, watching Malik and Jou skip rocks across the glassy surface.

"You're right about that," Honda agreed. "Not until we find Bakura."

**- 0-0 -**

Night fell, and they still lounged by the lake. They had been joined by Ryou and Marik, who came with a picnic dinner, compliments of Isis.

"She told us to be careful and stay together." Ryou told everyone as they lit the lanterns they had brought, dishing out the food.

"She actually is letting us out here?" Malik wondered, bemused.

"Well, I asked her that, and she said that the Prince and his friends are going to have to meet up with Bakura sooner or later, since they are looking for him, and better have us here to help where need be." Marik replied, biting into the roasted chicken with a groan of appreciation. He LOVED Isis's cooking!

"This is rather nice, you know?" Jou said, glancing up at the sky that was sprinkled with stars, the moon a paper thin crescent. The forest was peaceful, filled with cricket chirps and the low warbling of night birds. The lake was spread out in front of them, frog croaks echoing just as loud as the cricket chirps, and the occasional splash of a night animal fishing.

"Yes, it is. Wonder how long it will stay that way." Honda mused, also glancing about, but for a different reason.

The night went on relatively with little mishap, only Honda and Jou getting into an argument, Marik picking on Ryou, and the usual stuff.

That is, until about midnight, when they froze as all the night sounds suddenly fell silent. Not a frog croaked, nor cricket chirped, the birds were silent as death, and even the wind seemed to have died.

"Guys…this is creepy…" Jou trailed off, as a low, feral growl started rumbling from somewhere in the forest behind them. Atemu shuddered.

"There's that sound again," He whispered to the others.

"Bakura?" Ryou murmured back, wide eyed.

"Yes,"

Two glowing eyes were suddenly visible, igniting in the darkness ahead in a very terrifying manner. The light from their lanterns kept the other back for a few minutes, before he began to stalk forwards.

He stopped at the barest edge of the light, and now they all were able to get a good look at him.

And what they saw made them stare in shock, as well as something very similar to pity.

He looked extraordinarily like Ryou, with long silver hair that hung down his back, pale skin, and gleaming red eyes. He was definitely a Daemon, as the two claws on his wings and long barbs on his tail would tell.

But what made them wince in something very similar to sympathy and/or pity were the scars. One, looking like a double crossed T, extended from below his right eye and nearly to his chin, and was probably very painful when it had been received.

His wings, as well, were slightly tattered at the edges, and there were healed rip scars in the membrane between the 'fingers' of his wings. There were probably other scars as well, below the long, shielding cloak he wore to hide the majority of his body.

He took a step forward, growling menacingly, drawing two daggers from within the folds of his cloak. His tail lashed eagerly, the barbs looking perilously sharp and deadly.

"Man, he's gonna kill us all…" Jou muttered, fear making him unable to do anything but back up. It seems the others were suffering from similar issues, as they didn't do anything but stare in fear.

Those eyes…they were almost hypnotic, and as Jou looked deeper into those intense, flaming eyes, he felt himself being drawn deeper in.

Shaking his head, snapping himself out of it, he stumbled back, feeling water begin to seep into his boots.

"Don't look him in the eyes," He hissed to the others, and they hastily did as he said.

Bakura continued to approach. He had been flying above the town, when he had noticed the lights at the lake edge.

And, going to investigate, had yielded some interesting finds.

He couldn't see the entire group, but he could tell that the front three were angels, and the rest were probably the same.

And they will all die.

He tensed, crouching, preparing to leap into the middle of the group and begin the slaughter.

And they knew it.

They stepped back, and seemed to be getting ready to fight back. Ha! With what? Their forks?

Snickering to himself mentally, Bakura readied his daggers. Who should he kill first?

Wait, what was this?

Ryou pushed himself to the front of the group, and he didn't have a clue as to what he was trying to do.

Bakura's lip curled in a savage snarl. So he wanted to be first? Very well, he will…be…

His thought trailed off, his mind blanking out.

The silver haired Daemon stared at the other silver haired Daemon, both seeming to try and stare the other down.

As much as Ryou wanted to back down below the insane glint in those ruby eyes, he knew that his friends' lives counted on getting through to his lost brother.

"Bakura," He said softly, and was surprised when the other Daemon paled at the mention of his name. He glanced about, as if looking for hidden enemies sneaking up on him.

"Who are you?" He whispered harshly, his voice was a pleasant baritone that was nearly covered by the dark and cold tone he used.

"Ryou, your brother," Ryou replied, hoping beyond hope that his brother would remember.

"I don't have a brother," Bakura snapped back, sliding a few feet to the left, seeking an opening.

"Yes you do!" Ryou growled back, gaining courage from the presence of his friends behind him.

"You also have us!" Marik said suddenly, stepping up beside Ryou.

"And who are you?" Bakura hissed, baring his fangs. This was confusing to him, and that was not good during a battle. Who were these people? Why did the one claiming to be his brother look so familiar, as did the other one beside him?

"We were friends when we were kids, before you were taken away!" Malik responded, stepping up beside his brother and Ryou.

Bakura carefully hid the alarm and confusion beneath an angry exterior. It seemed so true…his father had loved to gloat about his excursion to the surface world, and was constantly telling the story on how he had burned the village to the ground and slew Bakura's mother, and left his younger brother to wander the wilderness until he died. His brother was always seen as weak by his father, and such wasn't hunted down after the village burnt to ash.

His younger brother...what was his name? Racking his brains, hunting the back corners of his mind for the foggy remnants of that night, he pulled out two different names:

Ryou and one other:

Marik.

Now the Daemon before him could very well be his brother. He looked the right age, even had the silver hair, and had the proper name…but those could be learned and then faked, yes?

But who was Marik?

"That doesn't answer my question," Bakura rumbled, and pointed his dagger at the purple eyed angel. "What is your name?"

They stared at each other, Bakura with a sort of desperate determination in his eyes.

"Marik," he replied, and Bakura paused, eyeing the small group. They knew that name as well…what else did they know? How would he know what was truth and what was faked?

"We're telling the truth, Bakura." The other Daemon said gently, doing a very good impression of caring. Heh, as if he really cared! Nice act though, he should get points for making it believable.

"We were there when the village was attacked, Bakura. You stayed with us and our sister, Isis! You remember Isis?" the smaller angel twin asked.

Isis…

Flashes of a solemn, dark haired girl, dressed in Healer-trainee robes…

Shaking his head to clear the images, he snarled at them.

"Lies! All lies! You can't possibly be telling the truth!" He hissed, tail whipping behind him in agitation.

"But we are," Ryou said softly, wanting so much to soothe the troubled mind of his brother. It was funny, this was the first time he had seen his brother in fourteen years, and he was already willing to do anything to make everything alright.

"We are," Ryou repeated, "Don't you remember? Mother? Remember her? She would sing to us every night, she called you her little Kura, remember?" Ryou said in a rush, unsure as to where the memories were coming from but relieved that they did.

Bakura was frozen in shock. He had been four when the village tragedy had happened, Ryou had been two. So Bakura remembered more than Ryou, but…only the real Ryou would know that!

But his father said Ryou died in the wild, left alone as he was…but what if he hadn't been alone? What if he had been with this Marik, and Isis and the nameless twin? He would've survived then, yes? Bakura had harbored the hope while he trained in the dark caves under his father's supervision that his brother and mother would have survived, and would come and save him from this hell.

But it had never happened, and so he had believed them dead. Ryou wasn't dead though, but he hadn't come to rescue Bakura. Then again, he couldn't have succeeded if he had tried, being as young as he was…

"Bakura?"

The white haired murderer looked up, realizing that Ryou had been calling his name. His brother was watching him with those concerned eyes again…

Did he just refer to the Daemon across from him as 'his brother'?

Yes, yes he did.

Needing to think this new information over, Bakura backed away from those gentle eyes. There was only sincerity in those eyes…no hint of ill intent, or falsehood in them.

"Bakura?"

"Stay away from me!" Bakura hissed,

And charged.

**- 0-0 -**

End

Thanks to all reviewers: Yip, koinu27, LPGirl05, Kanashimi no Tenshi, Thunderstorm101


	4. Chapter 4

**Tarnished Soul**

"_What is darkness? Merely an absence of light. Or, perhaps, it is when the light is hidden away, to keep it from extinguishing. Darkness, whether good or ill, hides within itself. Maybe to protect itself? For when light comes into a darkened room, see you not how the shadows fall back? Does that not speak of fear, and a fear of being hurt? Many claim to be light, and others dark. Me? What am I but another lost soul looking for truth? Which way do I turn? Who do I follow? None. I shall go my own way. I shall stay in the shadows, neither dark nor light."_

Sirithiliel, Jynn A'Tonic

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. Story plot, world, etc is.

Summary: AU. Dark fic. Bakura, a demon like no one has ever seen one before, arrives in a land already torn by conflict, and it is up to the Angel Prince Atemu and Bakura's long lost brother, Ryou, to stop him. But is there something even darker on the horizon?

**Author's Explanation:** Now, when you hear 'angel', you probably think of the feather-winged avatars from God, and when you hear 'demon, you think of their evil, dragon-winged counterparts who exist in Hell. These are not those Angels, or those Demons. They are called by such names merely because they bear a resemblance to the mythical creatures. The angels of this earth did indeed have feathered wings, which is why they were named after the icon of purity and goodness. The demons bore the same resemblance to the demons of the religious type, with great bat wings, barbed tails, fangs and claws. But in my story there is no God, no Heaven or Hell. I used the names merely for their resemblance.

10/9/06

**Chapter Four**

Ryou flinched as his brother charged him, and he vaguely felt the others behind him back up. Atemu and the others had been silent throughout the entire conversation, worried that they might set the unstable Daemon off, now they yelped in surprise, stumbling back until the water soaked their boots.

A powerful leap drove Bakura right over them, and there was a powerful _snap_ as he brought his wings down and flew off into the night, the blast of air from his first down stroke nearly knocking them off their feet.

Ryou turned to watch his brother disappear in the darkness, and he felt...sad, but also satisfied. He had gotten through to his brother, even if it was only a little bit. He had also managed to dredge up some long lost memories of his mother, and that was an achievement on its own.

"Well…that was a rather frightening experience…" Marik muttered, and there were nods of agreement from the rest of the group.

"Now I know why you were so freaked out last night," Jou said to Atemu, shuddering. Those eyes…

Stricken by a sudden thought, Jou turned to the others, who were currently packing up their stuff and getting ready to run back to the safety of the house.

"Was anyone else finding it hard to NOT look in his eyes?" he wondered, and there were startled looks from the majority.

"Not for me…" Ryou replied, but everyone else nodded.

"Yeah, it's like when you see a snake staring at a mouse," Honda said, rubbing his arms to ward of the chill that the thought brought up. Normally, when a snake did that to a mouse, the mouse didn't live very long…

The forest sounds renewed as they began walking, everything seeming normal once more.

"I agree," Atemu said, glancing about as they cleared the trees. "Is that a known ability of Daemons? It wasn't mentioned by my father…"

"I don't know, but then again, who knows anything about them? You can't trust the myths and stories, because people exaggerate." Marik mused, and Atemu conceded him the point.

"Now that I think about it…wouldn't that explain why Ryou was able to get more leeway with Isis when he was in trouble?" Malik put in suddenly, glancing over at his friend.

"You know what…I think you are right!" Marik agreed, sounding surprised. "Ryou, I think you can do it too! It would definitely explain why you got what you wanted that time with the baker. I always wondered how you managed to get cookies off that grump."

"Are you serious?" Ryou said, staring at his friends.

"Makes sense," Honda agreed. "Useful to know, as well as a nice ability to have."

"Yeah…I guess…" Ryou answered, sounding a bit unsure.

"So…hopefully the King will respond soon, I don't think we can handle that…" At Ryou's look, Jou amended his statement "Handle Bakura, I mean. I don't think we can handle Bakura." He said, with a sheepish grin in way of Ryou's look.

You don't mess with someone capable of clawing, biting, or hypnotizing you.

'Not that Ryou would do that though.' Jou thought, glancing at the Daemon walking next to him, tail waving lazily, the barbs flicking up every now and then with the tension that permeated the little group. 'Then again, maybe he would…'

They walked in silence back to the village, just as dawn's first light began to light the area, streaking the sky with colors of peach and gold, bright oranges and pale yellows.

**- 0-0 -**

Bakura paced along the thick branch of an old oak; ignoring the fact that he was a good thirty feet off the ground. The sun was rising, but he couldn't be bothered from his thoughts, no matter how painful it was to his sensitive eyes. Though, truthfully, it hurt less and less every day. Maybe he was adjusting.

But never mind that! What was he going to do? He knew that what he was searching for had been found: his long lost brother. But now that he found him, what was he going to do?

He had been sorting his thoughts and feelings through out the night, and had come to the conclusion that Ryou had been telling the truth, and he truly was his brother. But what did that mean to Bakura? He was on the run from his father, who was still settling the clan war in the caves. But after the war…he would come after Bakura.

And the white haired Daemon had better have thought of a way to hide or kill his father by then…because if he didn't, then it was back to the caves and back to that hellish life style. Sure, his father never hit Bakura unless he had failed him in some way, or rebelled against him, but that didn't mean he wasn't mentally and emotionally tortured.

Those were the kinds of torture his father excelled at, after all…

Maybe his brother could help him? He had seemed to want to…but what if that was a trap? Those angels he was with…they seemed like warriors, what if they were going to capture him?

Confused and frustrated, his thoughts chased one another, conflicting with each other and contradicting. It built and built until he couldn't take it and threw his head back, screeching his mental and emotional confusion, pain, irritation and the ever-present hatred to the budding day lit sky.

**- 0-0 -**

Isis paused in the middle of handing out dishes to the newly returned group at the sound that echoed eerily in the new morning air.

"What are we going to do about him?" Ryou asked, heaving a sigh as he helped himself to some bacon.

"We need to get him away from the village," Atemu mused, dipping his biscuit in some gravy. "We don't need any deaths here."

"And how will we do that?" Jou wondered.

"I don't know."

"If we leave, do you think he will follow?" Marik asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Why would he do that?" Malik scoffed, stealing an apple slice from his brother.

"Because he's curious, and he wants answers. Didn't you see how he acted with Ryou last night?" Marik shot back, taking the apple slice back with a huff.

"Didn't seem to do much in my opinion," Jou muttered, siding with Malik.

"And if we leave, and he stays here, what do we do then, eh?" Malik said. Ryou sighed, shaking his head.

"He'll follow." He interrupted.

"What makes you sure of that?" Atemu asked, curious.

"Just trust me on this. He'll follow, if nothing else, to see where we are going." Ryou assured him, confident on this fact. Why he was, he didn't know.

"Alright then, we need to get clear of this village and away to where we do…what?" Atemu replied. "What do we do when we are away from the village?"

"That, I don't have an answer too." Ryou admitted.

"Maybe talk? Ask why he's here, and why he is killing?" Marik wondered.

"Maybe he doesn't know. He might be killing because he likes to kill." Honda said, shaking his head and rubbing his temples.

"Be that as it may, we'll see if he follows us if we leave, and we'll deal with it from there. I don't think he'll kill us right off." Atemu decided.

"That's comforting," Jou muttered.

"What about the King's response?" Honda asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Do not fear; I shall await the response." Isis put in, clearing away the last of the dishes.

"Thank you," Atemu said, smiling. "Now, we don't know what will happen once we leave, so we might need to pack decent supplies. Jou, Honda, let's get started."

"Hey, we're coming too!" Malik interrupted. Marik and Ryou nodded in agreement.

"He's my brother," Ryou said by way of explanation.

"Very well," Atemu sighed, thinking it was probably a wise idea. "Then we should begin packing. Every day we delay is a day when Bakura might decide to take off elsewhere, and continue killing."

**- 0-0 -**

Carrying specially designed packs loaded with supplies, the group left the village, walking under the noon sun. They could have flown, it would have been faster, but also more energy used on their part. And that energy they may have need of for whatever they encounter in the untamed wilderness.

There could be bandits, unfriendly settlers, and even land pirates. The land that spanned between kingdoms was filled with danger, and the only safe havens in this land of peril were the small towns and villages, and even those could be hazardous to travelers.

As such, the angels kept their swords ready, while Ryou decided on Healer herbs and supplies instead of a sword.

After all…he was dangerous enough with natural weapons…even if he didn't have the experience and practice with his claws, fangs, and barbed tail that Bakura did.

They walked through the peaceful-looking forest, admiring the scenery. The general landscape of this area was a sprawling forest that had its borders on the edge of the village, and extended for miles outwards, occasionally breaking up into smaller clumps of dense forest with grassy meadows in between. Where the forest ended the grass went on in a wide ocean, with the occasional stand of trees peppering it here and there.

It was in this alternating land of forest and grass that there existed three different kingdoms, each with their own little gathering of towns around them.

One was the angel Kingdom of Solomon, the second Kingdom was ruled by the human King Pegasus, (a rather creepy human, if the rumors were to be trusted), and the last Kingdom was ruled by the only demon King known: Seto Kaiba. Kaiba, though he was a demon, ruled over a Kingdom almost entirely made up of humans.

It was Kaiba's Kingdom that was nearest, which meant that the wealthy and arrogant King would more than likely hear news of their passing from his many towns that were visible even now to the travelers.

The villages that existed as isolated, secluded realms independent and loyal only to each other, were to be avoided. Atemu was recognizable, and not every village would greet him as welcoming as Ryou's village had.

And Ryou himself was recognizable, if anybody knew what to look for.

As such, they tried to avoid contact with anyone, and figure out what they were going to do. They also were discussing on whether Bakura had given in to his curiosity and followed them.

They continued for about three days without much happening. No sign of Bakura, and they ran into no one from any of the nearby settlements.

But on the fourth day, near mid-afternoon, that was about to change.

Ryou went farther away from the group; he had been collecting nuts, fruits, and herbs for their depleting supplies.

The angels, walking slowly and waiting for him to return, were oblivious to the watching eyes around them.

Oblivious, that is, until suddenly they were ambushed, with spears and swords being leveled at them and the leering faces laughing before them.

Taken by surprise, they were disarmed and captured without too much of a fight.

"Bandits," Atemu hissed, glaring as his arms were tied and his wings pinioned together. The majority of the bandits were humans, with the last three being angels. Their leader was a tall, broad-chested human.

"I'm Bandit Keith." He introduced, giving a mocking bow. "And who might my friends and I have the pleasure of meeting?" He asked, and the surrounding bandits sniggered.

"None of your business," Marik snarled, and was rewarded with a spear butt across the face.

"Well, we have some bold ones here." Keith said with a hearty laugh. "It's been a while since we'd had someone with a bit of spunk!" He aimed his curved sword at Marik's throat.

"Well? Did they have anything interesting in those packs of theirs?" He asked one of his band, who was digging through their packs.

"Just food and water flasks, boss." The man answered, shrugging.

"Alright then, let's have a little fun, hmm?" he laughed, sheathing his sword. His band sniggered around him, and they surrounded the bound angels.

"Remember, we aren't going to kill them." He said, a broad grin on his face. "Just have some fun…"

**- 0-0 -**

Ryou was watching from behind a nearby sycamore, unsure of himself and very scared. What could he possibly do to help them? He wasn't a warrior; he was a Healer for crying out loud!

Jittering, but too terrified to do anything to help when the Bandit and his band set upon his friends, hitting them and mocking them.

Sensing someone behind him, he yelped and spun, his tail barbs snapping upright in threat.

It was Bakura.

"Oh, Bakura, you scared the hell out of me!" Ryou hissed without thinking. His eyes then widened when he realized exactly what he had said.

Bakura raised an amused eyebrow at the other, before shaking his head.

"You want to save your friends?" He asked, eyes staring at the other intensely. Ryou was caught unawares at the odd question.

"What?" Ryou blinked. "You mean you _want_ to help them?"

"Of course not," Bakura scoffed, curling his lip at the very idea.

"Then why ask?" Ryou said, raising an eyebrow in perfect, if unintentional, imitation of his brother.

"Because you obviously want to," Bakura shot back, as if that was a suitable answer. "And I'm…curious…as to what you said the other night." He shuffled his wings in a slightly embarrassed manner.

Ryou was suddenly aware of the fact that his friends were getting set upon by bandits just on the other side of the tree, and with new determination, he stared at his brother.

"Yes, let's do it."

**- 0-0 -**

Atemu winced as Keith landed another blow, glaring at the grinning bandit while his crew vented on the bound angels.

"Leave them alone," came an angry voice, and Keith spun about to see who dared interrupt his fun.

Ryou stood there, eyes narrowed and tail lashing angrily.

"Look, boys, we have a demon to play with now too." Keith laughed, and the bandits approached the lone 'demon'.

Ryou smirked as he had seen Bakura smirk, and flared his wings. He mentally grinned at the slight pause in the bandits' steps when he did so.

"Wow…Ryou looks positively evil," Malik muttered, struggling against his bonds.

"Yeah, almost like his brother, you know?" Jou whispered back, twisting in such a way that it must have been painful to see if he can wiggle loose.

Ryou watched with a bit of apprehension as the bandits closed to within fifteen feet of him, wondering where Bakura was.

His answer came in the form of a snarling form that dropped to the right of the bandits, causing them to jerk in shock and yelp in surprise.

Bakura hissed, baring his fangs, and put on the full intimidating show: wings flaring wide, claws unsheathed to full length, and his tail lashing, the barbs nearly standing upright. His eyes were glowing a fierce, feral red.

Glowing eyes…Ryou wondered if he could do that too.

Glaring as hard as he could at the bandits, he willed his eyes to gleam like his brother's, and was surprised at how easy it was. He could see the reflecting glow off the steel weapons the bandits carried, and was proud of himself.

Keith and the others backed away hurriedly, eyeing the two _very_ frightening figures before them. Bakura stalked forwards slowly, enjoying the fear and panic he caused. Ryou followed a bit more hesitantly, glad he could look scary enough to stop a fight, but not sure he liked the way it made him feel.

Before anything could happen, trumpets went off and into the clearing charged human soldiers bearing the blue and white insignia of King Seto. Startled, Bakura shot into the air, flaring his wings and flying away. Ryou, when he saw spears being leveled at him by the soldiers, followed his brother hurriedly.

Atemu watched them take off, and sighed. The soldiers obviously thought that they were with the bandits. The bandits, meanwhile, were being put under arrest. One guard walked up to the bound angels and freed them.

"We heard shouts while we were passing, and thought to investigate," he explained kindly. He was a tall human, with dark hair. "Who might you be?"

Deciding that it would be better to tell the truth here, (after all, he did save them), Atemu politely answered.

"I'm Atemu, Crown Prince of Kame." As he said this, the soldier captain gave a quick bow, which Atemu acknowledged with a nod of his head. "These are my companions, Jou and Honda from Kame, and Marik and Malik." He didn't specify where the two tanned twins were from; as not all inhabitants of villages were welcome everywhere.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Atemu. Would you care to accompany us to our realm?" The soldier asked, and Atemu discreetly glanced at his companions. At their nods, he turned his attention back to the captain.

"We would appreciate it."

They walked in silence, the bandits musing over their future punishment, and the soldiers strictly professional.

"Are we going to leave Ryou?" Malik asked in an undertone, worry shot through his voice.

"He'll be alright. The soldiers thought he was one of the bandits, I think he scared them." Atemu said, once again trusting his instincts. And those instincts said that Ryou was safe for now.

"I believe it, he scared me." Jou muttered.

"Look!" Marik hissed, pointing. Out of the trees they walked, and the grassland spread out before them in rolling waves dotted here and there with a stand of trees. A well worn road curved up and around the hills, and in the not-so-far distance a large castle stood, built from white stone that shone in the sun.

King Seto.

**- 0-0 -**

They were led inside the ornate, grand palace, and they followed the nameless captain to the throne room.

Seto Kaiba was talking to what seemed to be two of his high-ranking soldiers, and he looked up when he saw them approaching. He dismissed the two soldiers, and went to talk to the captain.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked in a low undertone, and they were surprised with the dark look he gave Atemu. "The Prince of Kame," he said, turning towards Atemu. "To what do I owe this…honor?"

"We found them being attacked by bandits," the captain put in, and he quailed under the look Seto gave him.

"Well, I'd appreciate it if you would leave. Now." He said coldly, glaring at them.

"What?" Jou exclaimed, indignant.

"And who are you?" Seto sneered, giving Jou a look of extreme distaste. He lazily flicked his tail at the angry angel.

"I'm Jou, and you better remember that, demon boy!" Jou growled, and Atemu gave him a stern look.

"Well, Atemu, I would once again appreciate it if you would take your little group and leave me realm." Jou growled again, and Seto gave him a disdainful look. "Be sure to take your dog too."

With that, Jou attempted to attack the demon, and was immediately restrained by Marik and Honda, while guards lowered their spears.

"Come on Jou." Atemu said lowly, giving Seto a hard look.

"I'll have some guards escort you out," Seto said with a certain smug look.

"May I ask why the rudeness?" Atemu asked, reigning in his temper.

"Oh, didn't you know?" Seto said, giving a flinty smirk. "Pegasus and Solomon have declared war upon one another," he gave the shocked Atemu another grin "and if you were found here, then I'd be accused of allying with Solomon, now wouldn't I?"

"And that would be bad?" Jou muttered.

"Yes, it would. But don't bother asking why." Seto said, and gave them a mocking wave as they were escorted out of the castle.

Atemu gazed blankly at the ground as they walked.

His father was at war with Pegasus? That made it doubly dangerous for them to be out here, since Pegasus was well known for having his people wander the country side on odd errands, and they normally weren't good ones.

The kind captain who was leading them towards the gates turned and whispered to them.

"Okay, when you leave, go to the north." He murmured, shooting a glance about.

"Why?" Malik asked, also keeping his voice low.

"Because if you go south, you'll run into a patrol that King Pegasus sent out when King Seto notified him of where you were."

"What? That bastard – " Jou began, before Marik elbowed him harshly to make him keep it down.

"Why did Seto do that?" Atemu asked, and the captain gave him a small look on the Prince's disrespect of Seto's title, but he was a Prince so the captain ignored it.

"Don't mention that I said this, it could be my head," the captain whispered, "but he is hoping that King Pegasus and King Solomon weaken each other to the point that he could extend his borders."

"You mean take over their lands while they're war-torn," Marik hissed, angered at such a thought.

"Yes,"

They went through the gate, and froze.

Standing at the gate was a group of soldiers wearing the purple and red of Pegasus.

**- 0-0 -**

End

Thanks to all reviewers!

Yay, another one! Now…this one was already half done by the time I got around to having some free, non-stressful time to finishing it…so the next chapter might take a while before it's up...


End file.
